I'm only now getting into the Spring 2008 issue of UU World. On page 21 and online, there's a section on "Ceremonies for everyday life" by Virginia Lang and Louise Nayer (excerpted from their book How to Bury a Goldfish). Two paragraphs stood out to me:

We believe our everyday lives deserve celebration. As our world grows more complex, it takes more thought to do less. Through simple ritual and ceremony, we slow down and open our eyes to the beauty and meaning in our lives, awakening to the natural world and the richness of our relationships with others. When we take time to see the sun rise and set, to really see the exploding colors of the universe, we awaken ourselves from cynicism and despair and open our hearts to the mysteries of nature, our bodies, our lives.

~ ~ ~

[Virginia Lang:] In springtime, life pours from the earth without our having to do anything. It is a wonderful time to remember that we are not in control of nature, yet we are part of it. We deserve to be here just as much as the trees and flowers, not dominating the natural world but in a state of conscious participation with it.